Infos on ATRGF.CMD
==================

ATRGF.CMD was modelled after OS/2s AT-command which is available with the 
LAN-manager/server software, but not part of the base-package.  Additionally, a 
function for specifying intervals, e.g.  every 6 hours, and one which would 
execute a command if it can be scheduled between midnight and the time 
ATRGF.CMD was invocated, were added.

ATRGF.CMD allows for executing full-screen-programs as each program will be 
started in its own session, whereas AT (to my knowledge) does not allow any 
end-user interaction with the started programs.


ATRGF:   execute command at specified time


usage:   ATRGF [/B] [/M] [/W] [/T] time command
         ATRGF [/B] [/W] [/M] [/T] time /NE:dayordate command
         ATRGF [/B] [/W] [/M] [/T] time /E:dayordate command
         ATRGF [/B] [/W] [/M] [/T] [time] /I:time command

         see enclosed Tutorial "RGFSHOW.CMD" and syntax below

syntax:
   COMMAND ..... any command as entered thru the keyboard to start
                 a program
   TIME ........ on input 24hour- (military) or 12hour-format allowed,
                 output will be allways in 24hour-format (military, computer)
   DAYORDATE ... DAY[-DAY]|DATE[-DATE][,...]
                 DAY .... 2 letter digit (MO, TU, WE, TH, FR, SA,SU)
                 DATE ... 1-2 digits (1-31)
                 more than one day or date must be delimited by a comma

   flags:
   /B  ......... show output in black/white (no ANSI-colors)
   /M  ......... execute command immediately, if scheduling between midnight
                 and the time of first invocation of ATRGF itself is possible
   /W  ......... execute ATRGF.CMD in a separate Window
   /T  ......... Test mode
   /NE: ........ next dayordate
   /E:  ........ every dayordate
   /I:  ........ every time-interval

examples:


*** EXECUTE A COMMAND ONCE AT THE SPECIFIED TIME:

    ATRGF 00:00 copy *.* a:
          ... copy all files at midnight to drive A:

    ATRGF 17:00 "beep & @echo Hey, time to go home! & PAUSE"
          ... at 5:00pm beep, show message and wait for keystroke



*** EXECUTE A COMMAND ONCE AT THE SPECIFIED DAY OR DATE:

    ATRGF 20:30 /NE:FR back_it_up
          ... call "BACK_IT_UP" at 8:30pm on next friday

    ATRGF 20:30 /NE:31 back_it_up
          ... call "BACK_IT_UP" at 8:30pm on the next last day of month



*** EXECUTE A COMMAND REPEATEDLY (EVERY) AT THE SPECIFIED DAYS OR DATES:

    ATRGF 20:30 /E:1-31 back_it_up
          ... call "BACK_IT_UP" at 8:30pm on every day

    ATRGF 20:30 /E:FR,1,15,31 back_it_up
          ... call "BACK_IT_UP" at 8:30pm on every friday, on every
              first, 15th and last day in a month

    ATRGF 17:00 /E:MO-FR "beep & @echo Hey, time to go home! & PAUSE"
          ... at 5:00pm beep, show message and wait for keystroke mondays
              thru fridays (executing command forever on given DAYORDATE)



*** EXECUTE A COMMAND REPEATEDLY AT THE SPECIFIED TIME INTERVAL, OPTIONALLY YOU
    CAN STATE A STARTING TIME:

    ATRGF 00:00 /I:00:05 MOVE_IT.CMD -v
          ... starting at midnight, execute every 5 minutes (interval)
              "move_it.cmd" with the parameter "-v"

    ATRGF /I:00:05 MOVE_IT.CMD -v
          ... call every 5 minutes (interval) "move_it.cmd" with
              the parameter "-v"

    ATRGF /T 20:30 /E:FR-MO,15,31-1 back_it_up
          ... testing of command; show invocation dates



*** EXECUTE A COMMAND IN ITS OWN WINDOW (SESSION):

    ATRGF /W 20:30 /E:FR-MO,15,31-1 back_it_up
          ... call "BACK_IT_UP" at 8:30pm on every friday, saturday,
              sunday, monday, on every, first, 15th and last day in a month,
              execute in a separate window

    ATRGF /W /T 20:30 /E:FR-MO,15,31-1 back_it_up
          ... testing of command; show invocation dates; use a separate
              window for it


*** DON'T USE ANSI-COLORS FOR OUTPUT:

    ATRGF /B
          ... show usage of ATRGF in black and white (no colors on output)


*** EXECUTE COMMAND, IF IT CAN BE SCHEDULED BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND START OF THE
    FIRST INVOCATION OF ATRGF ITSELF:

    ATRGF /M /W 8:00 /E:MO back_it_up
          ... call "BACK_IT_UP" at 8:00am on every monday, execute in a
              separate window; if ATRGF was started on monday at 9am
              (in fact after 8am), the command will still (!) be executed,
              because of the /M-switch !!!




ATTENTION: If you specify a day of month larger than the last day within 
           that month and the month has fewer days, the last day of that month
           will be taken instead of the 31st (e.g. 31 for Feburary, than the
           next execution will be on either the 28th or 29th of February unless 
           you specified that day too).


Rony G. Flatscher,
Vienna/Austria/Europe,
Wirtschaftsuniversitaet Wien
1993-11-08

